All posts tagged mobile phones

India, the world’s second most-populous nation, will leap ahead of China—the most populous—as the world’s fastest-growing nation by smartphone sales in 2015, says German research group GfK. Read More »

Ten years before Apple Pay, there was NTT Docomo Inc.’s “Osaifu-Keitai,” or “mobile wallet.”

Japan’s largest mobile carrier by subscribers introduced its pioneering mobile-payment system in 2004. Now there are 33 million osaifu-keitai cellphones that can be used to pay for everything from train tickets to vending-machine products and pots and pans at 1.8 million retailers that have readers installed. Read More »

The Phorce bag allows you to charge your smartphone while you’re on the go. Once charged up, the makers claim the bag can power an iPhone 5s up to 15 times. Archibald Preuschat takes a closer look. Read More »

A third of all smartphone users in the U.K.—or 11 million adults—check their phone within five minutes of waking. Italians check their phones 39 times a day. The South Korean government says roughly 1 in 5 students is addicted to smartphone use. Read More »

Smartphones sold in California will be required by mid-2015 to come with a pre-installed feature to deter thieves. Jerry Brown, California’s governor, on Monday signed a bill mandating that all smartphones sold in the most populous state will come with a “kill switch” feature. Read More »

It may not have been the most anticipated cool-gadget launch of the season, but the new smartphones unveiled by Sharp on Monday got some healthy buzz for their unique screen design.

The Aquos Crystal series, developed by Sharp together with SoftBank, boasts a “frameless” display with a screen that goes from edge to edge. The five-inch screen model will be available in Japan on Aug. 29, and will be launched in the U.S. by Sprint Corp. later this year. Read More »

Mobile software startup Lookout has raised one of the largest private investments in cybersecurity, accepting $150 million from some big fund managers to lock down smartphones showing up at corporate IT departments. Read More »

A bill aimed at deterring smartphone theft faces a final hurdle before becoming law in the most populous U.S. state.

Jerry Brown, California’s governor, is expected to settle the issue after the state’s senate passed a bill Monday that will require all smartphones sold in California to come with what the industry calls a “kill switch” feature. Read More »

British travelers to the European Union end up paying more cellphone roaming costs because, among other reasons, they never bothered to check if their telecom providers offer roaming packages. Read More »

Amazon.com is offering to pay developers up to $5,000 worth in its virtual currency for each app they bring to its new Fire smartphone, a sign the retailer is working to bring more apps to the handset introduced this week.

Incentives also include up to $500 in credits for using Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing offering, and free promotion on Amazon’s mobile ad network, according to a posting on the Amazon website Friday. Read More »